Washing machine



Aug. 26, 1941'. J. L. HILL sums mscruus 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Au 21,1939 [In/enter: v

By/l/j Alla/111'] r Aug. 26, 1941. J. mu.

WASHING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 21, 1939 [Illa/11hr By/28Alla/vie}:

J. L. HILL WASHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 21, 1939 Aug. 2 1941.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 [lire/Life flaw Patented Aug 26, 1941 ApplicationAugust 21, 1939, Serial No. 291,219 In Great Britain August 19, 1938 1Claim.

This invention relates to washing machines of the kind comprising a.perforated drum mounted to rotate about an approximately horizontal axiswithin a casing.

Washing machines of that kind operate generally with a reversing action,the drum being rotated rapidly, say, three revolutions in one direction,and then three revolutions in the reverse direction. They functionmainly by a combination of a tumbling and rubbing action of the goodswithin the drum and by centrifugal ejection of the washing liquor fromand through the goods during revolution of the drum. Whilst thecentrifugal ejection of the liquor follows by merely rotating the drum,it is obviously necessary to provide for return of the liquor to thedrum in order that such action may continue or be repeated. Probably,with washing machines at present in use, if they were run at the higherspeeds herein recommended, the return flow of the liquor would occurmainly, if not almost entirely, during the reversal period for the drumand whilst the drum is substantially at rest or moving only slowly;because whilst the drum is rotating, the centrifugal action within thedrum operates to resist re-entry of the liquor by creating an outwardflow pressure and by causing pressure of the goods against the inside ofthe drum. Obviously resistance to return flow of the liquor is greatestat the bottom and least at the top of the drum owing to the oppos tionof gravity to centrifugal force. Also, it is obvious that in any suchmachine although the water level will rise outside the drum due tocerntifugal ejection from within, this rise of level is in proportiononly to its speed of revolution, and therefore, allowing for frictionallosses, the level will not for that reason ever rise high enough for theoutside static head to overcome the internal centrifugal pressures.There is, however, the further factor that the liquor is carried roundby contact with the surface of the drum especially where the latter isformed or provided with extemal ribs, and this causes some false levelincrease on the rising side of the drum. However,

such false level increase is similarly opposed and overpowered by acorresponding false levelwithin the drum due to the lifting action givento the liquor by the tumblers provided within the drum.

The rise. of level outside the drum obtained by rotation of the lattercannot therefore of itself cause re-entry of the liquor.

In order to obtain a re-entry flow during rotation of the drunrit hasbeen proposed to mount the drum to rotate about an axis concentricwithin thecasing but eccentric with the drum itself so that theeccentric movement of the outer periphery of the drum produces relativemovement towards and away from the casing with the object to lift andforce the liquor to return through the walls of the drum.

-In order to obtain the same effect of forcing the water to re-enter thedrum, but without having to make the rotary drum eccentric on its axisof rotation, it has been proposed to provide baffles or deflectors onthe inner wall of the casing to force any water carried round on itsperiphery to return back into the drum, and in one form the drum wasraised out of centre with the casing so that the converging upper wallof the casing would act as such a deflector. In so raising the drumhowever, the lifting eflect on the outside of the drum is necessarilyreduced by increasing the slip space between the drum and the casing atthe bottom. Also a greater volume of liquor would be required to obtainthe same level in the drum.

The object of the invention is a method of and means for stimulatingre-entry of the washing liquor during rotation of the drum. From apractical point of view the object of the invention is to enable theuser to obtain greater output of washing per unit of time and machinesize.

This can best be obtained in relation to cleansing efiect without damageto fabrics at certain rates of speed which have not been practicablehitherto on account of sluggish re-entry and therefore of badpenetration of heavy loads by the liquors'at high running speeds. It isclaimed that the high speeds made possible by this invention increasethe beneficial possing action, reduce harmful friction to the mostsuitable point and so enable this type of machine to be loaded to afigure almost twice as high as has hitherto been considered good laundrypractice. According to the invention the drum is disposed eccentricallywithin the lower part of the casing and is provided on its outerperiphery with vanes or blades adapted to pass close to the bottom ofthe casing in the manner of a. pump,

end clearance between the drum and the casing being reduced, or meansbeing provided to close the ends, to prevent loss of lift effect.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional end elevation of one example of a machine made inaccordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section ofan alternative sealing means for'the end of the drum;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing a preferred construction ofoutlet valve for use with the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan of the valve mechanism shown In the example of theinvention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of a washing machine of the usualsize, the drum I is about 3 ft. external diameter and arranged so thatthere is about inch clearance at the bottom and 2% inches at the topbetween its periphery and the internal periphery of the casing II.

The drum is provided with 6 longitudinal ribs I2 of angle iron whichjust clear the bottom of the casing, allowing for working conditions,expansion by heat, etc. These ribs extend the full length of the drum.

The drum is provided internally with the usual tumblers I3 and with ahinged cover I4, whilst the casing is provided with an aperture adaptedto be covered by a sliding cover I in which is fixed an inspectionwindow I6. Means for sealing the joint of .the sliding cover aredescribed in detail later with reference to Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 2the ends ll of the casing are each formed with an inwardly projectingring l8 concentric with the drum and each of slightly larger internaldiameter than the adjacent end of the drum, and of such depth as just tooverhang such ends. 3; this means, the cylinder is permitted to expandin diameter as well as in length and also to float slightly endwise onits shaft without actually making rubbing contact with the ring.

In operation, the washing fluid or water is forced out of the drum bycentrifugal force, particularly at the bottom. Up the sides, suchcentrifugal force still resists re-entry of the water, so that the watercollects up the face of the drum as it is lifted by theribs l2 actinglike a pump and is relatively unable to return to the drum owing to thecentrifugal pressure from within and also the centrifugal force onitself which tends to cause it to keep outwards against the wall of thecasing. Towards the top of the drum and easing however, these forcesreduce in the drum as is obvious, and outside the drum by reason ofwidening of the space and therefore permissive reduction of velocity ofthe fluid. The static head or pressure obtainable by the combined actionof centrifugal pressure within the drum and the pumping action betweenthe drum and the bottom of the casing can therefore be greater than theresistance to re-entry. Consequently the washing fluid or water is ableto reenter the drum at its upper part.

The maximum pumping effect is obtained by reason of the rings l8 whichprevent undue escape of the fluid between the ends of the drum and theends of the casing.

In another example, as shown in Fig. 3 an alternative sealing means forthe ends of the drum comprises a ring I!) of U-cross section fittingover a ring on the drum between which are arranged springs 2| acting topress the U-section ring l9 outwards against the end I! of the casing.The inner ring 20 is fixed to the drum near its outer periphery, and theouter ring is arranged to rotate also with the drum by providing aseries of lugs, pins or dowels, 22, fixed As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 anoutlet valve is provided in the bottom of the casing comprising aseating 23 secured to the outside and having a pair of lugs 24. Pivotedbetween such lugs is an operating lever 25 whilst on the same pivot pin26 and on the outside of the lugs are the arms 2'! of a valve28 having aseating insert 29 and a raised central boss 30 curved cylindrically toform a continuation of the inner periphery of the casing. Thiscontinuity avoids the pocket at the valve which occurs with the usualoutlet valve and branch, as any such pocket would interfere with thepumping or lifting action of the ribs. On its under side the valve isformed at its centre with a raised part 3| adapted to be engaged by a.head 32 on the end of the lever 25. At its other end, the lever 25 isprovided with an adjustable balance weight 33. The valve operatingmechanism comprises a pedal lever 34 mounted in a bracket 35 secured tothe under side of the casing and connected at its inner end by links 36to the lever 25. Also mounted in the bracket '35 is a catch lever 35aadapted to engage the pedal when depressed so as to hold the valve in inthe ring I9 and sliding in holes in the ring 20. 7

the open position weight 33.

As shown in Fig. 6, the cover I5 for the casing is slidably mounted onthe casing, being guided at its ends in fixed guides 31. Also adjacentsuch ends are lugs 38 each carrying a tension screw 39 on which'isslidably located a further lug 40 secured to the end of a flexible band4|. At its lower end each band has a lug 42, such band being adapted tobe quickly tensioncd by means of a lever 43 operating an eccentricengaged in the end of the lug 42. The lower edge of the cover enters a Ushaped rubber seal 44 as shown more clearly in Fig. 7.

In use, when the cover has been brought to the closed position thelevers 43 are pushed up to the full line" position shown in Fig. 6 thustensioning the bands 4| on the ends of the cover and pressing such endsfirmly down onto the face of the casing or into their guides so as tomake a substantially water-tight seal. The levers 43 are easily broughtdown into the position shown dotted, to release the tension on the bandsso that the cover may easily be pushed back to the open position.

The cover is provided with an inspection window I6 and handle l6a shownin Fig. 1 but omitted from Fig. 6 so as not to be confused with thesealing means. A safety pawl is provided, adapted to engage the upperedge of the cover so as to prevent it from being opened whilst themachine is in motion, such pawl being connected to the starting control.This feature is already well known for washing machines and no noveltyis claimed therefor. No provision is shown for sealing the upper edge ofthe cover. Provision was made for effecting such sealing but it wasfound to be unnecessary.

The invention is obviously not limited to all the details abovedescribed, the principal features of which are the positive driving andlifting efiect of the blades due initially to their close proximity tothe bottom of the casing, the conversion of this kinetic energy tostatic pressure head within the casing due to the eccentric position ofthe cage within the casing, superimposed on the pressure of centrifugalejection to provide a static head or pressure outside the drum greaterthan the resistance to re-entry.

What I claim is:

A washing machine comprising a cylindrical against the return action ofthe the drum in the manner of a rotary pump into 10 a space ofincreasing cross section and sealing rneans between the ends of the drumand the ends of the cylinder to substantially prevent return flow'roundthe ends of the drum, said sealing means comprising an annularprojection extending between the adjacent ends of the cas inga'nd drumelements near the cylindrical surface of said drum, said annularprojections being secured to one of said elements and contacting saidother element in sealing relationship.

' JAMES LAMBERT HILL;

